Rawle struggled to adjust to the college game during his first few months at Arizona. He had a hard time playing with new teammates and under new coaches.Β
But he relied on the same thing he's relied on his whole life to get to where he wants to be β hard work.Β
"In practice the first day, I didn't know what I was doing," Rawle said. "It felt so uncomfortable, and it felt like I didn't know how to play basketball anymore."
This is where you'd think he might run into trouble again. A five-star talent who looks physically capable, yet was struggling to adjust and, before the UA's roster began falling apart this season, held no guarantee of extended playing time.
He could have taken a me-first approach, but that wasn't the precedent Arbitello found at Christ the King.
"Completely the opposite," Arbitello said. "I never heard him curse. His mother raised him the right way. Nobody around him, or his mother, ever said one word about him getting enough shots. That guy did everything, and he defended. He played great defense."
That trend has continued at Arizona.
"Rawle's been as consistent of a freshman as we've ever had," Miller said. "It starts off the court by how he approaches school, how he approaches being on time, what he's like when he doesn't play well, what he's like in the early-season workouts."
The work paid off:Β Rawle was named to the Pac-12 all-freshman team.Β
β Bruce Pascoe
